Concept Design & Branding

Indoor soccer facilities need an appropriate club design and an effective branding strategy related to it.

In commercial architecture, even purists accept that, design and marketing must go hand is hand.

The first examples where the design of industries and retail outlets bends to the logic of business and market dates back to the early 1900’s. The protagonists of modernism, promoters of a radical renewal of architecture through close contact with production, began to understand how the success of a brand depends on a specific concept design permeating every aspect of the enterprise in such a way as to make it recognizable in any of its manifestations: from billboards to the handles of the entrance doors of the shops .

However, the true explosion of this trend is apparent in the 1980’s. Under the push of a frenzied globalization led by Reagan’s America. The major brands realized what they were selling was not actually the product, but the idea associated with their product.

Excellent examples are in everyday life and we ourselves, often unknowingly, are promoters of their products. This is amplified thanks to the social networks.

The 80’s are also the decade in which the franchise networks proliferate, pushing standardization and replication to a worldwide scale.

For this reason, “branding” becomes a key factor for the success of a product.

The 5 a side market is now definitively emerging from the embryonic phase of approximation and basic solutions, because competition is higher and the customers demand more services.

Standardization in the design of private indoor soccer facilities design is in some respects inevitable and follows the same logic as in other markets.

The largest indoor soccer facilities and networks have long understood it, and they create concept-clubs always identical to each other. In this way the customer always knows what service to expect.

However, today the market is increasingly crowded and the large-scale acquisition of emerging markets go through a professional brand study.

It is no surprise, therefore, that a brand such as Goals, the most important 5 a side soccer chain in the world, among last years’ investment plan priorities mentioned the modernization and redesign of club houses already realized as a key point for the success of the brand. Goals hired the services of a true professional “destination architectural firm” for their new Clubhouse 2020.

The same can be said of Sofive, one of the largest 5 a side networks in the US. Since the beginning of its adventure, it has opted for a clear brand strategy while still keeping an eye on the budget.

Because, it is good to remember, standardization travels on a dual track: brand awareness and cost-effectiveness.

Standardization is good for your brand…and can make you save money!

As an advisor to many clients worldwide, WSBSPORT has its own cost-effective solution for the standardization of a club’s club-house. For exemple through the use of dismantled containers.

Containers can create different spaces both inside existing buildings and in open spaces. The modules can be easily prefabricated in the workshop and slightly modified on site after laying. This also gives the sports center an extremely distinctive look, with an urban-street cut that goes well with the 5 a side world.

In partnership with Mano Arquitectura, a concept club named GOLAGOL was inaugurated in 2017 in Barcelona. Here containers have been used to host the restaurant, the locker rooms, and the office.

More similar projects are in our pipeline, and you will read more on this blog in the near future.